SC stays Kerala HC order banning entry of VVIPs in Sabarimala temp

New Delhi, July 31 (UNI) The Supreme Court today stayed the Kerala High Court order banning the entry of VVIPs in Lord Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala in the state as they were causing obstructions to other devotees offering prayers there.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Y K Sabharwal, Justice C K Thakker and Justice P P Naolekar passed the interim order on a petition filed by one K Biju Kumar, who challenged the high court judgment on the grounds that it violated the fundamental right to offer prayers by those who worship the deity.

The entry of the VVIP visitors in the temple was banned when e petition was filed in the high court seeking a ban on the grounds that they come with a security cover and the entry of public to the temple is blocked for hours to facilitate the prayers offered by them.

Notably, the Sabrimala temple is facing another petition filed by a group of women lawyers challenging the age-old ban on the entry of women devotees aged between 10 and 50 years in the temple as violative of Articles 14 and 15 of the Constitution as it discriminates against women on the basis of gender bias.

The ban on the entry of women devotees in the temple was upheld by the high court way back in 1993.

The ban on the entry of women was imposed as Lord Ayyappa was a Brahamchari.

Recently, there was an attempt to prosecute Kannada actress Jaimala who had disclosed that she had touched the feet of the deity in 1987 when she visited the temple and it was taken as an act of desecration of the presiding deity. A purification ceremony was performed by the Thanthri (Head priest) of the temple.

UNI AKS/SC RL KN2009